I can't sleep! Can lack of sleep kill you? I'm serious.

Question

I can't sleep.  Since I went cold turkey from the oxy on Mon, 2-26 I only slept one night and that was last night for 3 hours.  Tomorrow will be day 8 for me.  i would just like to get some suggestions for sleep if anyone is up this late.
Thanks,
Yodes

manonfire · Answer

You won't die, but u'll wish u did. I sleep about 3-4 hrs on a good nite. less tonite. can't die, just feel like u r.

hellc@mst · Answer

i remember while at uni we were told about a study into sleep deprivation done on mice.they were kept up for 2 weeks b4 their hearts packed up and they died.An englishman volunteered in the name of science to see how long a human could go wifout sleep.he lasted 9 days b4 a minor psycotic episode forced the scientists 2 end the experiment.

1Soprano · Answer

I too have been battling with sleep which just magnifies the w/d symptoms, especially emotionally. I find that Benadryl helps me sleep. It is somehow related to many synthetic opiate families(www.opiates.com) and I find it knocks me out perhaps because it seems to ease them, I'm not sure. But if you are as desperate as I am for sleep you will try anything once!! Good luck and let me know if it helps! XOXO

JayT · Answer

Last night I finally slept throughout the entire night.  I couldn't believe it.  I heard about an over the counter med that may help with restless legs, CALCET.  Here's what I did

YESTERDAY:

NO caffeine
Got up and moved around, did a little shopping just to get out of the house
Gatorade
Multivitamin
Told myself and my fiance' that I'd never do this again, and MEANT it

LAST NIGHT BEFORE BED

Took Calcet
Melatonin
Valerian Root
Drank an herbal tea called "Sleepy Time" 
Took an extremely hot shower

I was asleep within an hour.  I woke up around 2am, but was able to fall back to sleep.  I just woke up, and it's 10:35am!  A lot of the help was found on this website, and I want to thank everyone.  

One more thing:  I have been taking benadryl for three years as a sleeping aid;  doc approved.  Last night I tried without, because I think that is making things worse.  It puts you in that sleep induced haze feeling, and while you can't sleep it makes you feel even more restless.  Try without!

Yoda99 · Answer

Hey JayT:
   Thanks for the info.  I can't take benadryl anyway; it makes me feel like I have a hangover the next day.
   I'm going to try to go out tomorrow.  I have been too weak to drive so I've been confined to my house for this horrid withdrawal and I live alone.  Maybe that's a good thing.
Thanks again for your advice,
Yodes

I can't sleep! Can lack of sleep kill you? I'm serious.

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